Winter Sports
Albion back home again
Steve Winterburn, Head Groundsman at Brighton & Hove Albion’s new Amex Stadium, explains the reasoning behind his choice of surface
“The AMEX site spans two different district councils, so it was imperative both were happy with the final design and location of the ground before any work could begin”
Steve Winterburn, Head Groundsman, Brighton & Hove Albion
his season, Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club returned to the Championship after an absence of five years. To coincide with this return, the club has unveiled its brand new stadium, The American Express Community Stadium, now firmly established as the AMEX Stadium. “Since leaving the Goldstone Ground in 1997, the club has not had a stadium it can call home,” explains Steve Winterburn, Head Groundsman at Brighton and Hove Albion. “We were obviously very grateful to Gillingham for their hospitality, and for the use of the Withdean Stadium, but it has not been an ideal situation, especially as the Withdean was originally built for mainly athletics events.”
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The club first applied for planning permission for the new stadium back in 1999 but, because of opposition to the proposed location from local residents and district councils, it took another ten years before work was able to begin. “The Amex Community Stadium site spans two
different district councils - Lewes and Brighton and Hove - so it was imperative both were happy with the final design and location of the ground before any work could begin, which took a bit longer than we expected,” continues Steve. However, even before the new stadium started to take shape, Steve began his research into the most important element of any stadium, the pitch. “Overall, I did around three to four years of research into the various products, technologies and techniques on the market, to ensure we had the best possible pitch right from the start. The weather here on the south coast
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